Container for disposable tissues



Aug. 28, 1951 c. w. COCHRAN 2,566,016 CONTAINER FOR DISPOSABLE TISSUES Filed June '7, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 E 26- E 7 26\/ r 24 24 24 5 INVENTOR CLARENCE w. COCHRAN F!G.2 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 BY A TORNEY Aug. 28, 1951 c. w. COCHRAN 2,556,016

CONTAINER FOR DISPOSABLE TISSUES Filed June 7, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i 56 I 82 84 86 76 86/! r I 7+'' ;'8-- 1:' i I gs s4 FIG. 8

INVENTOR CLARENCE w. COCH RAN AT TOR NEY Aug. 28, 1951 c. w. COCHRAN 2,566,016

CONTAINER FOR DISPOSABLE TISSUES Filed June 7, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CLARENCE W. COCHRAN ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1951 c. w. COCHRAN 2,565,016

CONTAINER FOR DISPOSABLE TISSUES Filed June '7, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 r-lSO lso INVENTOR CLARENCE W. COCHRAN mgm ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FOR DISPOSABLE TISSUES Clarence W. Cochran, Belmont, Mass.

Application June 7, 1947, Serial No. 753,187

This invention relates to a new and improved container for disposable tissues and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a boxlike container of the character described comprising an upper compartment for the reception and dispensing of disposable tissues, a lower compartment for the reception of used or soiled tissues, and an intermediate or common wall or partition for said compartments.

Further objects of the invention are to provide such a container of rigid material and more speciflcally of molded plastic material; to provide adjacent portions of the edges of the wall elements of the upper and lower'compartments of the container and the intermediate common wall or partition with protruding lugs or wedgeshaped elements of such size and so positioned that the portion of the container adapted for the reception and dispensing of disposable tissues or the portion of the container adapted for the reception of used tissues may be removed and the intermediate common wall or partition effectively used with the remaining portion of the container.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a container of the character described of paper, cardboard or the like and to provide a unitary blank which may be readily folded to form such a container.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessin the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed description and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a molded plastic container embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view along the Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view along the line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a container of paper embodying a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a view in vertical section of the container shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view in plan of a blank from which the container of Fig. 6 may be readily formed;

line 3-3 of 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) Fig. 9. is a perspective view of a modified form of a paper container provided with a collapsible compartment for the reception of soiled or used the remainin portionbeing shown expanded; i

Fig. 11 is a view in plan of a blank from which the container of Fig. 9 may be formed;

Fig. 12 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a modified form of molded plastic container wherein the elements forming the intermediate common wall or partition, the tissue-dispensing chamber and the waste tissue-receiving chamber are provided with means permitting them to be releasably interlocked or associated;

Fig. 13 is a view in section of the form of container shown in Fig. 12 along a line 13-13; and

Fig. 14 is a similar view along a line "-44 of Fig. 12.

This invention contemplates the provision of a suitable, compact container which, in one form of the invention, may be readily cleansed, refilled and reused and, in another form of the invention, may be thrown away, and which is adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of cleansing tissues or other disposable paper tissues, to provide ready access to the supply of clean tissues within the container, and to provide means for receiving and at least temporarily storing a quantity of soiled or used tissues. There has long been a need for a container of thistype. It finds especial utility under circumstances where no readily available receptacle for the disposal of used cleansing tissues or the like is provided. For example, a container embodying the features of this invention supplies a long-felt need for sufferers from head colds, bronchial ailments and the like on trains, in public vehicles, in theaters, houses of worship and places of entertainment. The containers of the present invention provide a storage compartment, constantly available and closely associated with the tissue-dispensing compartment. adapted to receive a considerable quantity of soiled tissues and to hold these tissues safely out of contact with the clothing of the user or with the fresh supply of clean tissues.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 5, inclusive, the container ll] of the invention is shown as formed of three major elements, a central partition or common wall 12. an upper element 14 adapted to provide with said wall element I! a chamber for the reception of clean tissues, and a lower element 16 adapted to provide with said wall element I! a chamber for the reception of soiled tissues. These elements may all be molded from organic plastic material, for example methyl methacrylate or cellulose acetate, or any other suitable plastic or resinous material.

The element 14 comprises a top It! and tour depending walls 20. In the top l8 there is provided a long, relatively narrow aperture 22 through which the packaged tissues may he removed.

The lower element l8 comprises a bottom 24 and four upstanding walls 26. In one oi. these walls,

- and preferably in an end wall, there is provided an aperture 28 whereby access to the chamber formed by the element l6 and the common wall or partition l2 may be obtained. Soiled tissues may be readily introduced into the chamber through this aperture.

The three molded plastic elements forming the container are assembled and held in the desired relation to each other in the following manner: The common wall or partition I2 is slightly longer than the elements 16 and H and is provided along the two short sides thereof with a protrusion 30 which extends preferably the full width of the partition l2 and against which the short end walls of elements I and I4 abut, as shown for example most clearly in Fig. 2.

Each of thethree elements l2, l4 and I5 forming the body of the container is provided along each long side thereof with a plurality of relatively short protruding lugs, tapering or wedgeshaped in section. These lugs, when the elements are assembled as shown for example in Fig. 1, form a substantially continuous shoulder or track adapted to receive a holding element 32 which may be formed of metal and, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, is preferably of channel shape with inwardly inclining walls. When the holding element 32 is slid upon the shoulder formed by the protruding wedge-shaped lugs, the elements l2, I4 and ii are held together.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, ten lugs or wedge-shaped protrusions are shown as comprising each of the shoulders or tracks receiving the holding elements 32. Four of these lugs or protrusions 34 are shown as integral with the common wall l2 and are preferably molded integrally with that element. These lugs, one of which is shown in section in Fig. 4, serve not only to provide a shoulder for the reception of the locking element 32 but serve also to provide short abutments for the wall elements and 26 of the elements It and I6. thus imparting added rigidity to the assembled structure. The upper element It is shown in Fig. 1 as provided with three extending lugs or wedge-shaped protrusions 35 along each long side thereof and, as shown in Fig. 3, these protrusions or lugs are of the same size and shape in section as are the lugs N and, like those lugs, function not only to receive the locking sleeve 32 but also to provide an abutment for the walls 26 of element Hi. It will, moreover, be understood that the wall elements 20 extend downwardly in those areas in which lugs 36 are provided until they are flush with the lower surface of the common wall or partition l2, as shown in Fig. 3.

The element IS of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 is also provided with three lugs or wedge-shaped protrusions 38 along each side wall. These lugs 38 are of substantially the same size and shape in section as are the lugs 38 and 34, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5, and they serve not only as a shoulder for the reception of the locking element 32 but also to provide an abutment for the wall elements 20 of the top element ll, thus also serving to impart added rigidity to the assembled structure. The height of the wall elements 26 is preferably increased adjacent to be flush with the upper surface of the common wall or partition l2, as shown in Fig. 5.

The lugs or wedge-shaped protrusions 34, 38 and 38 are preferably so positioned that the combination of the upper element ll and the common wall l2 alone will provide a rigid, immovable assembly when the locking element 32 ispositioned over the lugs 34 and 38 and so that the combination of the lower element l6 and the common wall l2 alone will provide a similar rigid assembly when the locking element 32 is positioned over the lugs 34 and 38. This may be accomplished in the manner shown, for example, in Fig. 1 in which the lugs are arranged in the following order along each long side of the container: a center lug, a top lug, a bottom lug. a center ing, a bottom lug, a top lug, a center lug, a bottom, lug, a top lug and a center lug. With such an arrangement it will be apparent that if the top element is removed, the bottom element may not be slid to the right with respect to the common wall because of the contact between the thirdand fourth-mentioned lugs, nor may the bottom element be slid to the left with respect to the common wallbecause or the contact between the fourthand fifth-mentioned lugs. So also, the top element'may not he slid to the right with respect to the common wall because of the contact between the sixth and seventh and between the ninth and tenth lugs fiior may the top element he slid to the left with respect to the common wall because of the contact between the firstand second-mentioned lugs. It will be understood that the lugs in every case may be molded integrally with the element with which they are associated or they may be otherwise formed integrally thereon or they may be independently formed andsuitably adhesively bonded or otherwise afllxed to the appropriate element.

It will be apparent that with a structure such as has been shown and described the upper element ll may be removed by slipping the looking sleeves 32 from the shoulders provided by the lugs and then lifting the element M from atop the common wall 42. The chamber formed by elements II and i2 may, if desired, be filled with tissues and the element l4 replaced and locked in position by replacing the locking sleeve 32. Or, if desired, the element ll may be temporarily removed from the assemblage and the locking sleeve 32 replaced, thus providing a receptacle for waste tissues which is shallow and may be readily handled until the tissues are finally disposed of. If, for any reason, it should be desired to use the container under circumstances in which the receptacle for waste tissues is not needed, the lower element l6 may be removed and the elements I2 and I4 locked together by means of the locking sleeves 32.

It will be apparent that containers such as have been shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 through 5, inclusive, may be readily opened, quickly cleaned, refilled and promptly reassembled for use. The container of this embodiment of the invention is durable, compact and sightly.

While it has been described in connection with the contemplated use of cleansing tissues, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited. The container may, on the contrary, be employed with any suitable material and for any suitable purpose. It is to be understood, moreover, that while plastic or resinous materials have been described as preferred in connection with the through 5, inclusive, the invention is not to be deemed limited to the use of such materials. The containers shown and described may be made of metal or of wood or of any other suitably rigid material.

In Figs. 6,"? and 8 there is illustrated a further modification of the invention, a stiff paper or cardboard container formed preferably from a single blank and providing a chamber for the reception of such articles as cleansing tissues and a second, adjacent chamber for the reception of soiled tissues, the two chambers again being separated by a common wall or partition. The blank from which such a container may be formed is shown at 58 in Fig. 8. It comprises a bottom section 52, two long wall sections 54 and 58, and two short wall sections 88 and 68. These sections are separated from the bottom or base section 82 by heavily scored lines 82. In one of the short wall sections, i. e. 68, there is provided a heavily scored portion 64 which may be removed when the blank is folded into assembled form to provide access to the waste-receiving portion of the container. Adjacent one of the long wall elements 84 and separated therefrom by the score line 86 is a section 88 forming the top of the container, and this section is provided with a long and relatively narrow, heavily scored section I8 which, when removed, provides access to the chamber adapted for the reception and dispensing of clean tissues. Adjacent the other edge of the top portion 68 there is provided a shorter wall element I2 separated from section 68 by heavily scored line I4 and this portion, when the container is assembled, forms an inner wall portion (as shown in Figs. 6 and '7) of the tissue-dispensing chamber. Adjacent the opposite long edge of this wall portion I2 there is provided a section 16 which forms the common wall or partition between the tissue-dispensing and waste tissuereceiving chambers, and this portion is separated from portion 12 by heavily scored line 18. The blank is provided also with suitable tabs whereby the various elements comprising the finished container may be adhesively aflixed to each other. Thus, portion I8 is provided with three extending tabs 88, 82 and 84 each separated from portion I6 by heavily scored lines 88. Portion 12 is provided with two end tabs 88 and 88. Portion 88 is provided with two end tabs 82 and 84 and supplemental flaps 86 and 88 are amxed to these tabs and scored so that they may be readily folded. The wall elements 58 and 88 are also provided with short end tabs I88.

It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that a blank such as is shown in Fig. 8 may be folded so as to provide a container such as is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 6 and in section in Fig. 7. This container is adapted to receive and dispense tissues from its upper chamber and to receive and hold soiled tissues in its lower chamber and, inasmuch as the container is made of cardboard or still paper, the common wall I8 between the two chambers will bend upwardly as tissues are withdrawn from the upper chamber and placed within the lower chamber, and the relative size of the lower chamber with respect to the upper chamber will be increased sufficiently to receive and hold the used or soiled tissues. The entire container in this embodiment of the invention may be discarded when the supply of fresh tissues is exhausted.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 there is disclosed a modified form of paper or cardboard container 6 embodying the invention. The container here illustrated is of a somewhat smaller size than that shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, for example, and may, if desired, be substantially square, to hold tissues one-half the size of those dispensed by the container of Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

In this modification of the invention the lower or waste tissue-receiving chamber is adapted to be so crimped or folded as to be of relatively shallow depth when the carton is first assembled and packed with clean tissues, thus facilitating storage and shipment of the packed cartons. As tissues are used and deposited in the tissue-receiving portion of the container, its walls extend and thus provide an expanded chamber adapted to receive and retain soiled tissues to a number equal to the initial package of v fresh tissues carried by the container.

A suitable blank from which this modification of the invention may be formed is shown in Fig. 11 and comprises a bottom section I I8 which may be provided with a heavily scored portion 2 which may be removed so as to provide access to the soiled tissue-receiving chamber of the container. The blank is provided with wall sections H4, H6, H8 and I28 and each of these sections is joined to the bottom section I I8 along a scored fold line I22. The wall sections are each scored twice for folding along lines I24 and I28 and the wall sections I I6 and I28 are provided with suitable sealing tabs I28, I38 which are so shaped and scored for folding as to cooperate with the wall sections to permit the bottom chamber of the assembled carton to be collapsed in the manner shown for example in Fig. 9 and in the right-hand portion of Fig. 10.

To one of the wall sections, for example section I28, there is joined, along the fold line I32, a top section I34 which is provided with a heavily scored portion I38 which may be removed to provide access to the chamber from which clean tissues are dispensed. The top section I34 is provided with a pair of sealing tabs I38 and has joined to it, by means of the scored fold lines I48, a short wall section I42 which, in the assembled carton, provides an inner wall of the clean tissue-dispensing chamber. An intermediate partition or common wall section I44 is joined to wall section I42 by the scored fold line I48 and has joined to it suitable sealing tabs I48 and I58.

This blank may be assembled in ways well known to the art to provide a carton such as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. This carton differs essentially from the cardboard or paper carton shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in that the lower chamber intended for the reception of soiled tissues is collapsible, as shown in Fig. 9 and in the righthand portion of Fig. 10, and is provided with a botton opening through which the soiled tissues may be inserted. As is shown clearly in Fig. 10, in a preferred embodiment of this form of the invention the chamber which is intended for the reception of soiled tissues is, in extended condition, substantially twice the depth of the upper chamber from which clean tissues are dispensed and this result is accomplished by scoring the side wall elements H4, H6, H8 and I28 in the manner shown clearly in Fig. 11 to provide three substantially equal sections in each wall element. two of these sections being adapted to form the wall of the lower, tissue-receiving chamber and one section being adapted to form the wall of the upper, tissue-dispensing chamber. The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 9, 10 and 11,

like that shown in Figs. 6, '1 and e, is intended to be disposed of with the discarded soiled tissues. A carton such as is shown in Figs. 9 through 11 is particularly useful as a dispenser for disposable tissues and a receptacle therefor where relatively small quantities of tissue are dispensed. For example, sucha carton suitably packaged with a small number, for example twenty-five double tissues, is admirably adapted for use by passengers in airplanes or under similar circumstances where conditions may arise which make the availability of a small number of such tissues desirable.

In Figs. 12, 13 and 14 there is shown a still further modification of the invention and more specifically a modified structure adapted for use with a permanent or refillable container ofthe type heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1 through 5, inclusive.

In this modification of the invention, the looking sleeve 32 described in connection with the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 5, inclusive is dispensed with and means are provided for causing the bottom section and the intermediate partition or common wall to be releasably interlocked with one another and with the upper. chamber-providing means whereby the elements of the container may be rapidly separated and the common wall or partition may be used as a closure element for either the lower. soiled-tissue-retaining means or the upper, tissuedispensing means. This may be accomplished in the manner shown clearly in Figs. 12, 13 and 14,

In this embodiment of the invention, as in the container shown in Figs. 1 through 5, inclusive, the container. is formed of three major elements, a central partition or common wall I60; an upper element I82 adapted to provide with said central partition I60 a chamber for the reception of clean tissues, and a lower element I64 adapted to provide with said central partition Hill a chamber for the reception of soiled tissues. Two side walls I66 of either the upper or lower chamber-providing means (in the embodiment shown in the drawing. of the upper chamber-providing element I82) are formed with an ofiset and downwardly extending shoulder or abutment I68 preferably extending the full length of the wall and being of such size as to overlie the edges of the common partition I60 and the upper edges of the wall portions I III of element I64. The common partition ifiil and the wall elements I are preferably so formed as to provide extensions alternately integral with the common partition, as shown for example in Fig. 13, and integral with the waste tissue-receiving chamber-forming element, as shown for example in Fig. 14, and these extensions are adapted to abut against and releasably interlock with element I68. This releasable interlocking may be accomplished in any desired manner as, for example, by forming shallow recesses in the inner surface of element I68 adapted to receive and retain extensions or protrusions molded integrally on the adjacent surfaces of elements I60 and I10, as shown for example most clearly in Figs. 13 and 14 at I12 and Ill. The resiliency of the material forming the container makes it possible to assemble elements I60, I62 and I64 in the manner shown, with elements I60 and I10 releasably interlocked with element I62.

So also, the common partition I60 may be releasably interlocked or aflixed to the waste tissue 1-- -c nimilor Anhrmi'.

8 or cooperating protrusion and recess, as shown for example in Fig. 14 at I18.

With an arrangement such as is shown, it will be apparent that the common partition I60 may be associated either with clement I62 alone or with element I alone, for element I64 may be removed from the combination shown in Figs. 12

through 14 without affecting the releasable interlocking between elements I60 and I82, and element I82 may be removed from the combination withoutai'lecting the releasable interlocking between elements I60 and IN.

Since certain changes may be made in the above articles, and dlfierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter containedin the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for disposable tissues and the like, comprising a top element, four wall elements and a partition element providing a chamber for dispensing tissues;- further elements including wall elements and a bottom element forming with said partition element a second chamber for the reception of soiled tissues; means forming an aperture providing access to said tissue-dispensing chamber; and means forming an aperture providing access to said reception chamber, said container being formed of a unitary sheet comprising in straight-line integral sequence said partition element, a wall element, said top element, a second wall element, said bottom element and a third wall element, each said second and third wall element being substantially three times the depth of said first wall element and being twice scored to permit folding intermediate its upper and lower edges.

2. A container for disposable tissues and the like comprising a top element, a partition element, a bottom element and wall elements iorming with said top and partition elements a chamher for disposable tissues and forming with said bottom and partition elements a second chamer for the reception of soiled tissues, means forming an aperture providing access to said tissuedispensing chamber, and means providing access to said reception chamber, said container being formed of a unitary sheet comprising in straight line integral sequence said partition element, a wall element for said dispensing chamber, said top element, a wall element for both said chambers, said bottom element, and a third wall element for both said chambers, said bottom'element having integral with each of its side edges a further wall element for both said chambers, each wall element integral with said bottom element being substantially of greater depth than said first-mentioned wall element and being twice scored to permit folding intermediate its upper and lower edges.

CLARENCE W. COCHRAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,331,666 Otwell Feb. 24, 1920 1,898,231 Weiss Feb. 21, 1933 2,125,856 De Witt Aug. 2, 1938 2,345,309 Wensel Mar. 28, 1944 2.433.587 Wentworth Dec. 30, 1947 

